First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the
Hon. Dato' Seri Hj. Mohd. Shariff bin Hj. Omar, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia for his
presence and consent to officiate the "Asia-Pacific Fishery
Commission Regional Consultative Forum: Reforming Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific" on behalf of
the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Malaysia.

It is my privilege and pleasure to
extend my warmest welcome to all the Honourable Guests, Distinguished
Participants from the Asia-Pacific region to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

As you are all probably aware, this forum is the first forum
organized by APFIC held in conjunction with the
Twenty-ninth Session of APFIC to replace the APFIC Symposia. The proposal to
organize this Forum was initiated by
the APFIC Secretary during the Sixty-ninth Session of the APFIC Executive
Committee in Pattaya, Thailand,
December 2003. Subsequently the proposal was endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) at its Twenty-eighth
Session in Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 2004.

It is hoped that this forum will assist in strengthening APFIC's
function as a Regional Consultative Forum to provide a framework for members to
discuss fisheries issues which affect members across the wider Asia-Pacific
region, formulate recommendations for action and act as a regional coordinating
body by transferring and exchanging information and experience. In this context
APFIC could act as a platform to discuss
emerging issues related to fisheries, aquaculture, trade and sustainable
management facing its members in the
region. Members will work together to develop and agree on ways of implementing
policies and action plans to address
the issues raised. The outcome of this forum will be used to reshape fisheries and aquaculture in the
Asia-Pacific region for future generations and be forwarded to the Twenty-ninth
Session of APFIC which will be held after this forum, that is, from 21-23
August 2006 in Kuala Lumpur for
consideration and endorsement.

The objectives of this forum as indicated
in the official opening programme book are namely:

To provide a background on the status, trends and
potential of Asia-Pacific fisheries and aquaculture;

Develop policies and action plans to address two major
issues that constrain reaching that potential including the emergence of trash
fish fisheries in the region and the need to mainstream fisheries co-management in national fisheries
management activities;

Discuss food safety and quality as an emerging issue in
the region.

Four (4) main
themes will be discussed in this forum namely:

Future
of fisheries and aquaculture in Asia-Pacific;

Co-management,
governance and institutions;

Policy
challenges; and

Emerging
issues - food quality and safety in the context of trade.

These four (4) themes are very much related to
the issues raised at all international and global fora whereby the issue of
sustainability of the fisheries is debated. We are very fortunate here that
regional fishery body (RFB)
like APFIC is concerned about the fate of million of fishers especially in
developing countries of the Asia-Pacific
and the sustainability of the fisheries regionally and globally.

To the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO FishCode),
Swedish International Development Agency (Sida),
the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Republic of Korea and other donors, we would
like to express our greatest
gratitude for providing the needed fund for the organization of this forum and
we give you the assurance that we will try our best to make this forum a
success and a meaningful one.

I understand that this forum has over 100
participants from countries all over the Asia-Pacific region. Your presence will
add to the seriousness and commitment of this forum and as participants from
the different
countries in this region, will exchange ideas and learn from each other to
build and agree on ways of implementing policies and action plans to reform
fisheries and aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. I sincerely suggest that you take full
advantage of the discussion that follows the presentations of our distinguished speakers.

Once again, I would like to thank all the
resource persons and paper and poster presenters, and participants for giving their
valuable time to attend this forum. To the Organizing Committee of the
Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission Regional Consultative Forum and INFOFISH, I thank you
for your hard work in ensuring the success of this forum.

Last but not least, I wish to express my sincere appreciation
and heartfelt thanks to FAO and APFIC, for jointly
organizing this forum; to the Hon. Dato' Seri Hj. Mohd. Shariff bin Hj. Omar,
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Malaysia for his
consent to officiate at this forum as well as to all those who have in one way
or another contributed to the success of this event.

I sincerely hope that all of you will have a pleasant and memorable
stay in Kuala Lumpur.